As of yesterday afternoon, this was the state of 241 Carroll Street, the Carroll Gardens brownstone that collapsed at the beginning of this month. The 95-year-old 19th century building is on its way to being fully demolished. It’s believed the collapse was caused by the demolition, sometime in the 1950s, of the adjacent brownstone to make way for P.S. 58. Without the support of its “sister building,” No. 241 slowly became unstable. None of the tenants were hurt despite the whole side of the building coming down.Details on Carroll Street Collapse [Brownstoner]241 Carroll Street Partially Collapses, Demo to Come [Brownstoner]

Yet another Jehovah’s Witnesses property is on the market. This one is 67 Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights, a 10-unit, five-story residential building asking $3.4 million. The Real Deal says the townhouse once housed students and volunteers associated with the religious group’s Watchtower Society. It will be delivered vacant (leading TRD to believe it may one day become a single-family home). This is only one of 25 properties the Jehovah’s Witnesses owned in New York before they started selling them off two years ago, in anticipation of a move upstate. Update: As a commenter points out, Corcoran listed this property to no luck in September 2011 for $3,600,000.Latest Witnesses-Owned Property in Brooklyn Heights Hits the Market [TRD]A Century Later, Watchtower Leaving Brooklyn [Brownstoner] GMAP

Two years after the Brooklyn Paper pointed out that the barricades surrounding the LIRR terminal at Atlantic Avenue were not only ugly but exceeded security requirements, the MTA has bowed to pressure from Council Member Letitia James and others and agreed to replace the four-foot-tall granite blocks with less obtrusive metal bollards. James called the move a “major victory” for the community while an MTA spokesman said, “The MTA and LIRR listened to the concerns of community leaders and local elected officials,” adding that “This alternative [meets] all of the security requirements spelled out by the NYPD.” Workers began removing the 15 granite blocks earlier this week and by this morning, when this photo was taken, they were all gone.MTA Begins Removing ‘Ugly’ Barricade Around LIRR Terminal [NY Daily News]

Brooklyn: No longer the land of charm or affordability? That’s what several young ex-Brooklynites interviewed by the Wall Street Journal charge. “I lived [in Williamsburg] for the postindustrial charm or the affordability and neither of those really exist anymore,” said 27-year-old Philip Bjerknes, an advertising executive who has lived in Brooklyn for six years. “I love Brooklyn. It’s adorable, with great places to eat, but they also have that in Manhattan,” he continued. He recently signed a lease for a one-bedroom in Alphabet City for less than $2,400 a month. Broker John Brandon of Citi Habitats said he has seen an increase in Brooklyn residents wishing to move to Manhattan since January. “Rents are going up so much in Williamsburg,” he said. “If you want to live in Manhattan, it’s kind of six of one, half a dozen of another.” In many Brooklyn neighborhoods, said Jonathan Bowles, director of the Center for an Urban Future, “the rent just keeps going up and up, even in the sluggish economy, even in the slight downturn in the housing market. For a lot of people that turned to Brooklyn in part because it was a little of a bargain, I think they’re being forced to look elsewhere.” What do you think? Are prices in the two boroughs the same? Would you prefer Manhattan over Brooklyn if it didn’t cost more?Manhattan Rents Beckon Brooklynites [Wall Street Journal]Photo by eweliyi

Just this month, the Malcolm X Boulevard Community Farmers Market debuted in Bed Stuy between Chauncey Street and Marion Street. Vendors sell fresh bread, BBQ, yellow corn, fresh fruit, vegetables, beverages and more from 8am to 3pm on Saturdays. There will also be art exhibits and live music to come. Check out some great pictures of the previous two market days over at the Facebook page.Photo via

Name: Grace ChurchAddress: 46 Grace CourtCross Streets: Corner of Hicks StreetNeighborhood: Brooklyn HeightsYear Built: 1847-1849Architectural Style: Ecclesiological Gothic RevivalArchitect: Richard UpjohnOther works by architect: Church of the Pilgrims, Christ Church, Green-Wood Cemetery Main Gate, Brooklyn. Trinity Church, Manhattan.Landmarked: Yes, part of Brooklyn Heights HD (1965)
The story: Nestled next to some of the most impressive real estate in the Heights is Grace Church, one of Brooklyn Heights’ most important churches, architecturally and historically. Grace Church had its start in Manhattan, and up until the 1840s, Brooklyn members would cross the river on the ferry to make their way there. But after Grace moved uptown to 10th Street and Broadway, its Brooklyn parishioners decided it was time to have their own church close to home. The Heights already had Episcopal churches, but there were enough Grace people to start their own parish, and in 1847, the cornerstone was laid for this magnificent building. (more…)